The travel industry may not be the most environmentally friendly; with airlines, cruise ships and hotels producing hefty carbon footprints. However, The Vertical Group is making steps towards creating a greener industry. An electric car incentive is already saving staff money while also helping the environment. With four electric or hybrid cars currently in use, the initiative is gaining traction, and chief executive Peter Healey is encouraging his staff to see both the financial and moral gains of going green.

Healey views himself as forward thinking, always the first to try new things. “I’m an early adopter. I’ve had hybrids before; Lexus 450s for a few years,” he says. Inspiration for the scheme partly stems from Healey’s recent purchase of a BMW i3 electric SUV. “It’s an amazing experience because it costs about three pence a mile and I’m doing 20-30 miles a day; it’s costing me a couple of pounds a day.” With regards to his company, a policy shift with a focus on environmental impact has pushed the scheme into fruition. “This is our responsibility,” Healey says. 

Employees of The Vertical Group can choose to purchase an electric company car as part of a salary sacrifice scheme; monthly earnings are deducted to pay for the vehicle. So far three company employees, excluding Healey, have switched to electric; Nyki Dilworth, operation director at Vertical Systems, Rob Barker, business and development director at Vertical Systems and Craig Hollaman, senior developer at Vertical Systems. “What they get is a vehicle, which is fully insured and fully maintained. To buy the cars it costs them about £300 a month but they pay no tax on that.” Healey explains that electric car technology has reached a milestone, making it more practical for a greater number of people. “It’s really nice to see this as we were all driving diesel cars, SUVs and the like. The transition to electric is quite a big change in their lives.”

The success of the scheme is beginning to make waves in the company. Healey reveals they have two more Nissan Leaf electric cars being delivered. He says that little steps are what are needed in order to make a big difference in the travel industry: “This isn’t an ecologically friendly business although much work has gone into making it more so in the last few years. Personally and as a business, we’re just trying to take a more interested and slightly more responsible approach to the future.”